Earning activities should not lead to encroachments: LG minister

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani and Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday inaugurated the Akbari Playground in Gizri after its rehabilitation was completed under the World Bank-assisted Competitive & Liveable City of Karachi (CLICK) project.

The ceremony was also attended by special assistants to the chief minister Najmi Alam and Waqar Mehdi, local MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, CLICK Project Director Ayesha Hameed and Deputy Project Director Tabriz Sadiq Marri.

The renovation of the playground was carried out in a short period of seven months at a cost of Rs221 million. The total area of the playground is 7,800 square metres. The facility also contains a reverse-osmosis water purification plant with a filtration capacity of 10,000 gallons a day. The recreational facility comprises a grassy football playfield, restrooms for sportsmen, pavilions, and stands for spectators.

The locality’s residents and notables attended the ceremony in large numbers and expressed gratitude to the provincial government and CLICK for upgrading an essential amenity space in their area. Ayesha gave a detailed presentation on the salient features of the renovated playground.

Ghani reiterated the provincial government’s resolve to provide the best and modern civic and amenity facilities to the city’s residents. He said that all the required steps would be taken, and the available financial resources would be spent to transform Karachi into a modern city having essential civic facilities of world-class standards.

He also said the football field had earlier been in very bad state, but now it has been upgraded in accordance with international standards. The recreational facility with lighting also contains a small park, and the playground will host tournaments during Ramazan, he added.

Answering a question, the LG minister said encroachments are essentially illegal and unauthorised. He said the government is under an obligation to generate employment opportunities for people, but earning activities should not lead to encroachments. Pushcarts and shops should not obstruct the flow of vehicular traffic on roads, he added.

Replying to another query, Ghani said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan should first be asked about the reason behind the non-payment of dues to retired municipal staffers of the city.

He pointed out that on the floor of the provincial assembly and on other occasions, he had explicitly stated that the government has been striving to pay the dues of retired municipal employees.

He said the payment of these dues to retired municipal workers is their legal right. The provincial government has been paying around Rs3 billion to the Karachi Development Authority in accordance with the latter’s demand for this purpose.

Wahab congratulated the CLICK leadership for taking practical steps for the growth and advancement of the city. Responding to a question, he said the due legal formalities would be adopted to implement the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s decision to end the charged parking system in the city. The present contracts of charged parking in the city are valid until June, but the City Council would later take up this matter to lawfully abolish this system, he added.